Park City to gauge tourism, visitors

According to the Ark Valley News, the Park City City Council recently took action to monitor data related to tourism and economic development within the city. During its July 9 meeting, the council authorized a one-year, $10,000 contract with Placer.ai, a company that gathers data and provides insight into how residents, visitors and tourists move through communities. According to the Ark Valley News, the Park City City Council recently took action to monitor data related to tourism and economic development within the city. Planning to utilize STAR bonds for Park City’s Champtown entertainment district, the data from Placer.ai is intended to help with that as well as optimizing public outreach efforts and strengthening grant applications.
Source: Derby Informer | Area

info2024-07-22T10:42:29-05:00July 22, 2024|News|

Mulvane gets AARP walkability grant

The Mulvane Recreation Foundation was recently awarded a $2,500 grant through the AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons). Mulvane was one of seven Kansas cities to receive funding through the 2024 AARP Community Challenge. The goal of the program is to “make communities more livable,” especially for seniors, by creating more walkable, connected cities. A meeting of volunteers will be scheduled soon, with those individuals to help with walk audits researching needed safety measures and improvements to pedestrian infrastructure in select areas of Mulvane.
Source: Derby Informer | Area

info2024-07-22T10:39:47-05:00July 22, 2024|News|

108 feet tall mural on Inman grain elevator now complete

Mindy Allen of Mindy’s Mural has completed her largest project ever, a mural on a grain elevator in the small town of Inman. “I told my daughter, ‘It feels like the last day of school,’” said Allen. “You know, the last day of school when you’re cleaning out your locker, and you’re cleaning your desk and all that stuff. It’s so exciting.” Allen started this project nearly five weeks ago after the city decided to celebrate its 150th anniversary of turkey red winter wheat being brought to Kansas. She really wanted to get the mural right for the town. She even set up a donation poll to decide what color to paint the combine. “I worked really hard on it and wanted to make sure that all of the pieces were just right, you know. That the equipment in the background was the right colors and everything was just right so that the people seeing it and that live here in Inman that, you know, that they don’t have anything that they’re saying ‘Well, I wish that it would’ve been this or that.’ You know that everybody enjoys it,” she said. “Everybody that I’ve spoken to seems to really love it. People are always driving by and honking and stopping by and saying ‘thank you for doing this’ and that they love it. So, I mean, everything that I’ve heard has been positive. If there’s anything negative, they haven’t told me,” she laughed. “I’m really proud of this one.”
Source: KSN-TV

info2024-07-22T10:38:02-05:00July 22, 2024|News|

Newton affected by global network outage

The City of Newton says some of its systems are down due to a global technology outage. The global outage was caused when a popular cybersecurity company released a faulty update overnight. The company says it was not a cyberattack or security incident. The City of Newton says its Utility Billing Office, Newton Municipal Court and Engineering Office cannot take payments or access accounts.
Source: KSN-TV

info2024-07-22T10:36:04-05:00July 22, 2024|News|

Osage City Library offers ‘care cupboard’ stocked with personal care products

The Osage City Library is creating a “care cupboard” for individuals who have a need. The Care Cupboard has the following items: Toothbrushes, toothpaste, shaving cream, razors, denture cleaner, shampoo and conditioner, soap, body wash, deodorant, feminine pads, tampons and bladder pads for women and men. The library received a grant from the Northeast Kansas Library System to create the Care Cupboard. The library will accept donations of items and monetary donations to keep the cupboard stocked after the grant money has been depleted.
Source: Osage County News

info2024-07-22T10:34:04-05:00July 22, 2024|News|

Voters to decide on sales tax for local hospitals in November

Nemaha County voters will soon decide if they want to continue a 1/2 percent retailer’s sales tax for two local hospitals — Sabetha Community Hospital (SCH) and Nemaha Valley Community Hospital (NVCH). The question — which is a renewal of a sales tax already being collected since July 1, 2015 — will appear on the General Election ballot on Tuesday, Nov. 5. If approved, the money collected would continue to help fund health care services in Nemaha County for an additional 10-year period. The funding is used by the hospitals for capital improvements, equipment upgrades and general operating expenses. Representatives for both hospitals also said that sales tax funds will not be used for building projects. The funds will solely be used “in operating budgets to support services, including purchasing and maintaining equipment and paying for staff training. Building projects are being accomplished through grants, loans and private donations, and their budgets are separate from everyday operating costs.”
Source: The Sabetha Herald » Feed

info2024-07-22T10:32:07-05:00July 22, 2024|News|

City of Manhattan approves agreement with K-State for fire services

The Manhattan city commission on Tuesday approved a new agreement with K-State for a continued ground lease and fire protection services at 2000 Denison Avenue. In 1983 the city government and KSU signed the current interlocal agreement for the city to provide fire services to university properties and for the city to lease K-State’s land at 2000 Denison Ave., where the city owns and operates the fire department headquarters, fire station and training grounds. The new agreement extends the city’s lease term until 2075, and coincides with the estimated $5 million investment the city may make in replacing the Training Center at the Amherst fire station sometime before 2028.
Source: themercury.com

info2024-07-22T10:27:33-05:00July 22, 2024|News|

Atchison hires new City Manager

The City of Atchison officially has a new city manager. City Commissioners and Mayor La Rochelle Young just recently announced Mark Westhoff as Atchison’s next City Manager. His contract was approved on July 1 with an official start date of August 27. Westhoff comes to Atchison from his current position as County Administrator for Prowers County in Colorado, serving since 2022. Westhoff is a graduate of the University of Colorado and is currently completing his Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Public Management from Colorado State University – Pueblo. “I’m overjoyed at the opportunity to join the excellent team in Atchison and build on the positive momentum they and the City Commissioners have created there,” Westhoff said. “My wife Brianne, our four children, and I are also looking forward to jumping into the community as quickly as possible and getting to know all of you. We are so excited. Let’s grow together, Atchison.”
Source: www.atchisonglobenow.com

info2024-07-22T10:26:30-05:00July 22, 2024|News|

Wichita’s 154th birthday celebrated at the historical museum

Wichita celebrated its 154th birthday Sunday. The city was established in 1870, just three months after Sedgwick County was recognized. The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum celebrated by having an ice cream social, live music, and free admission for people to experience and check out the exhibits. The museum is also celebrating 85 years of existence. “It’s the only museum that’s focused on our local history in a broad sense. And that’s the history back to the founding of the county and right after the Civil War. And here we are, 154 years later, still working on it.” Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum Director Eric Cale said.
Source: KSN-TV

info2024-07-22T10:24:43-05:00July 22, 2024|News|

In first year of open enrollment, Olathe accepts 70+ out-of-district transfers

The Olathe School District has approved 72 out-of-district transfer applications for the upcoming school year. The move comes as all school districts in Kansas must now provide the opportunity for nonresident students to enroll in their schools, according to a state law that takes effect this year. At the July 11 school board meeting, Dr. Jill Smith, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education at Olathe Public Schools presented the board with its first open enrollment report. The district, Smith said, had 590 openings across elementary, middle and high schools. All eligible students wishing to transfer to schools with openings were accepted. Any student applying to a school that was at capacity or who was subject to a disciplinary suspension in their current district were not accepted.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post

info2024-07-22T10:23:31-05:00July 22, 2024|News|